Indianapolis -- Not long before Morris Claiborne boarded a plane to come to the NFL Scouting Combine, he heard from Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, his former teammate at LSU. Peterson got straight to the point.

Chris Granger / The Times-PicayuneLSU's Morris Claiborne hopes to be the first cornerback taken in the draft.

"His advice was just, 'Go up and take over,'" Claiborne said Sunday.

Claiborne, who will work out for scouts with the rest of the defensive backs Tuesday, hopes to heed that advice.

Last season, Peterson used the combine to cement himself as the top defensive back in the draft and the No. 5 overall pick. Claiborne finds himself in the same situation.

Unlike some of the other top draft prospects, Claiborne said he plans on participating in all of the drills with the exception of the bench press because he said he "tweaked (my) wrist this past season."

The goal, Claiborne said, is to dazzle the scouts. He hopes to run the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds. Peterson recorded a blistering 4.34 at the combine last year.

Claiborne said he and Peterson try to one-up each other "all the time. We've always been competitive. We've always tried to make each other better. If this guy does something, you have to do it better than him."

"I'm just going to go out here and try to work this combine," said Claiborne, who officially measured in at 5 feet 11 and 188 pounds.

Claiborne is one of five cornerbacks at the combine with a first-round grade, joining Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick, North Alabama's Janoris Jenkins, Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard and Georgia's Brandon Boykin.

But Claiborne clearly stands out.

"I believe my speed and the way I attack the ball when it's in the air (separates him from other cornerbacks)," Claiborne said.

Apparently, the scouts and analysts agree. Claiborne is the top-rated cornerback in the draft.

He has decent size and, as evidenced by his 100-meter state title in high school, good speed. He also has above-average ball skills. In his last two years at LSU, he had 11 interceptions.

Claiborne is considered an aggressive cover corner who uses his frame and long arms to press receivers at the line of scrimmage and disrupt their timing.

Claiborne, who won the Jim Thorpe Award given annually to the nation's best defensive back, led the Tigers with six interceptions and also broke up six passes while compiling 51 tackles this past season. He and sophomore Tyrann Mathieu teamed to give LSU the first first-team Associated Press All America cornerback tandem in history.

Claiborne's former teammate at LSU, Rueben Randle, didn't hesitate when asked to name the best defensive back he faced this season.

Claiborne was his answer.

"I went against him in practice every day," Randle said. "He's a great athlete, very competitive, very long and fast and strong. He worked me each and every day in practice, and we got the best out of each other. So that's why I can put my confidence in him that he's going to do well for whatever team that drafts him."

Early mock drafts have Claiborne going in the top five, some as high as No. 3. But Claiborne said whatever team picks him will be getting a dedicated player.

"If I'm lucky to be picked by a team, my job is to come in and try to make the team better," he said. "And that's what I am going to do. I am going to work and work hard every day."

If not for Peterson, though, Claiborne may not even be in this position.

When Claiborne was recruited to LSU, he came in as an "athlete" and was all set to play wide receiver.

Peterson, who was Claiborne's host on his official visit, had other plans. Peterson repeatedly pleaded with Claiborne to give defense a try.

"Patrick kept on pulling me," Claiborne said. "I tried (cornerback) for a day or two and I ended up liking it."

Now Claiborne will try to follow some more advice from his mentor and "take over" the combine.

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Nakia Hogan can be reached at nhogan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.